The failure to prevent Syria and Iraq from dissolving might cause Western societies to face more serious problems, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in Washington on Tuesday.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives from think tanks and academics at the St. Regis Hotel where he is staying while in the U.S., Erdoğan said: "Our relations with the U.S. are irreplaceable for Turkey, today as in the past. We put in all kinds of effort to develop our cooperation on the basis of common values and mutual interest. We will continue to do so."

Asserting that Turkey is trying to bring peace to a region facing massive destruction and humanitarian crises, Erdoğan said: "Although we sometimes feel that we are alone in this effort, we would like to think that the U.S. understands us and is together with us."

He said that the tragedy in Syria and the de facto division of Iraq is dragging the region into more instability and that globalized terror and the refugee crisis are two concrete results of the instability.

He said: "A solution in Syria can only be possible with a real transformation process that will be shaped by the expectation of the people. In Iraq, it is a must to facilitate a system that will provide a fair, inclusive and balanced distribution of power and wealth."

He also said that DAESH is a threat to Turkey, the region and humanity: "We are resolutely fighting this terrorist organization at every level and we are actively supporting international efforts on this issue."

Among the attendees there was former special assistant to U.S. President Barack Obama and senior director for European affairs on the National Security Council at the White House Karen Donfried, Michael Singh from the Washington Institute, chairwoman of the Woodrow Wilson Center Jane Harman, Dean of the International Relations Faculty of Georgetown University Professor Joel Hellman and the dean of the Johns Hopkins University, Professor Vali Nasr.

Family and Social Policies Minister Sema Ramazanoğlu, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak, Youth and Sport Minister Akif Çağatay Kılıç and Economy Minister Mustafa Elitaş were at the meeting as well.

Erdoğan is expected to meet with Turkish and American business figures at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium and also meet representatives from Jewish organizations.